Goats Save City Money, Act as Fire Prevention

Goats are grazing on grass in Roseville’s open space for the next few weeks. And while they’re satisfying their appetites, the is saving money and preventing fires.

The herd’s first stop is behind Lincoln Estates Park along Dry Creek where they will spend a couple weeks chowing down on a 30-foot firebreak.

Brian Castelluccio, open space manager with the , said that goats have been grazing in Roseville for a few years now in early summer and tend to draw a crowd of onlookers.

“They make a little racket with their ‘baas’ but most people are (reacting) positive,” he said.

About 300 goats will devour the grass in the open space as fire prevention and weed abatement. But they do more than that. Approximately 100 goats can clear about an acre a day, bringing the grass height down and making it harder for transients to hide and camp out in the city’s open spaces, Castelluccio said. The goats also eat some of the non-native species.

“Having them eat that stuff up is another environmental benefit,” Castelluccio said.

So much so that the city is looking into using goats in preserves and grassland areas because their hoofprints are not as harmful as a tractor's tread, Castelluccio said.

“At the end of the day, it is a cost benefit,” Castelluccio said. “You’re getting the best bang for your buck with the goats because manpower is expensive.”

Dixon-based Ecosystems Concepts hauled the goats to Roseville Thursday. A herder is on-site 24 hours a day to oversee the goats’ activity, assisted by herd dogs. The goats are also fed supplemental feed and given adequate water, Castelluccio said. City staff also check in on the goats daily.

Rob Arnett, senior fire inspector with the , said goat grazing is an eco-friendly undertaking.

“People really enjoy seeing a natural method as opposed to a tractor,” he said.

Fun facts on goats:

• Goats consume 5 percent of their body weight daily
• Approximately 100 goats can clear about 1 acre a day
• Goats typically eat twice a day – early morning and early evening
• The average life span of a goat is eight to 12 years
• There are more than 200 breeds of goats